The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched the Partnering for Vaccine Equity (P4VE) program in 2020 to address racial and ethnic disparities in adult immunization rates, particularly for COVID-19 and influenza. The P4VE program allocated $156 million to over 500 national, state, and community-based organizations (CBOs) to improve equitable access to vaccination in underserved communities by promoting vaccine confidence and addressing barriers to vaccination opportunities.
The Urban Institute (Urban) is one of several national intermediary entities responsible for recruiting, overseeing, and providing technical assistance to CBOs participating in the P4VE program. This report describes the experiences of Urban’s 28 CBO awardees and the technical support that the Urban team provided them to implement vaccine equity projects in the second year of the P4VE program.
Why This Matters
Although racial and ethnic disparities in uptake of the primary COVID-19 immunization series narrowed throughout the pandemic, there continue to be large racial and ethnic disparities in receipt of booster doses. Structural barriers, such as health care provider shortages and inequities in community resources across the US, may continue to hamper equitable access to immunizations for COVID-19 and other common infectious diseases. Raising awareness about the benefits of vaccinations and removing structural barriers to access are therefore critically needed to sustain progress on vaccine equity.
What We Found
The core elements of the P4VE program, which rest on highly accessible, culturally and linguistically effective education and outreach by local trusted organizations and supported by skilled intermediary organizations, are a promising way to reach populations experiencing vaccine disparities. Though the program's overall impact on the number of vaccinated people is much smaller than in the previous year, CBOs played a key role in communicating the importance of routine vaccination and how to access free vaccines within the communities they serve. This role took on greater importance within the context of pandemic fatigue and diminishing public health resources. Continued progress toward vaccine equity will likely require sustainable investments in affordable vaccines and community-based, culturally and linguistically effective outreach in underserved communities.
